Posted on 06/01/2004 7:41:40 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
It is now clear that Al Gore is insane," John Podhoretz wrote in his New York Post column last week, after Gore's recent anti-Bush administration tirades. "I don't mean that his policy ideas are insane, though many of them are. I mean that based on his behavior, conduct, mien and tone over the past two days, there is every reason to believe that Albert Gore Jr., desperately needs help. I think he needs medication, and I think that if he is already on medication, his doctors need to adjust it or change it entirely."
John is not a physician, but he's half right. Al Gore appears to suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is not treatable with medications.
Consider the diagnostic criteria for this malady:
"A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts," as indicated by the following:
"a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)." Gore demonstrated his grandiosity repeatedly. Who can forget his notorious claim that he had been responsible for creating the Internet?
Gore's delusions also ran riot on issues of technology and environmentalism, such as his repeated endorsement of anti-technology tracts and criticism of technological advances, while a congressman, senator and vice president. His writings generally placed science and technology at odds with "the natural world" and by inference, with the well-being and progress of mankind.
"is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love; believes that he or she is 'special' and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)." These sorts of fantasies run riot in Gore's Earth in the Balance, in which it is clear that he assumes that he, alone, has the solutions to the world's problems, bold and dramatic measures that await the education and enlightenment of the public. And as vice president, Gore and his staff purged the federal government of any dissension or challenge to his view of policy, in a way reminiscent of the worst paranoid excesses of the Nixon administration. Vexed by people who weren't sufficiently "special," Gore simply got rid of them.
"requires excessive admiration." A politician for virtually his entire adult life need I say more?
"lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others...shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes." While a senator, Gore was notorious for his rudeness and insolence during hearings. A favorite trick was to pose a question and as the witness began to answer, Gore would begin a whispered conversation with another committee member or a staffer. If the witness paused in order that the senator not miss the response, Gore would instruct him to continue, then resume his private conversation, leaving no ambiguity: Not only is your testimony unimportant, I won't even pay you the courtesy of pretending to listen to it.
Gore once accused his political enemies of possessing "an extra chromosome," a remark that infuriated the families of persons with Down Syndrome, which is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome.
Gore's patronizing, apocalyptic, and overwrought Earth in the Balance manifests many of the diagnostic criteria listed above, offering disturbing insights into its disturbed author. In it, Gore trashed the empirical nature of science for disconnecting man from nature. "But for the separation of science and religion," he lamented, "we might not be pumping so much gaseous chemical waste into the atmosphere and threatening the destruction of the earth's climate balance." He ignored that but for the separation of science and religion, we would still be burdened with the notion that the sun and the planets revolve around the Earth. (Recall that historians call the last epoch when religion dominated science the Dark Ages.)
It gets worse. Throughout the book, Gore employed the metaphor that those who believe in technological advances are as sinister, and polluters are as evil, as the perpetrators of the World War II Holocaust. He accused Americans of being dysfunctional because we've developed "an apparent obsession with inauthentic substitutes for direct experience with real life," such as "Astroturf, air conditioning and fluorescent lights.... Walkman and Watchman, entertainment cocoons, frozen food for the microwave oven," and so on. Makes you wonder why he bothered to create the Internet.
Gore's Narcissistic Personality Disorder is one good reason that I wouldn't want him to be president or to live next door to me.
his running mate?
Possible confirmation:
Seriously... this could be a *fortunate* symptom of mental instability. Fortunate for those who have to be near Gore, that is. The guy does sweat profusely, y'know.
If true, Al had better have a low-flow showerhead.
Algore's personality disorder type is that of a career politician. If he had missed his calling as a politician, he would have been an abundantly endowed preacher, revivalist tent and all. In fact, there is still time for Algore to discover the Lord and take the show on the road.
Although this is probably narcissistic of me, I want to show that it's not just the media who think this about Gore and that it didn't just start recently.
Back around the post-2000 election fiasco, I had an acquaintance that I suspected of suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and I had a friend who also knew this guy and was in a psychology class email me the symptoms/description.
Right after the election when all this was going on, I forwarded the description to a couple of friends because I thought Gore fit the profile.
Imagine my surprise when, a few weeks later, I think Newsmax, published an article discussing the profile and how Gore so closely fit it.
Most people who aspire to high political office have a touch of narcissism - however I don't know if Gore aspires to the complete syndrome. If so, no wonder his wife is depressed. They are very difficult people to accommodate in the real world.
I imagine when Gore is under stress such as he was during the election 2000 campaigning, he would present more narcissistic tendencies.... Alpha Male and all that...beard or not to beard.... never seeming to be able to grasp what the public wanted of him - remaking himself at every turn, in every city...and demanding we pay attention to him with love.
I suspect he has other issues - probably the cold relationship he didn't share with his father. Same as Prince Charles of England and Potty Prince Philip!
I am pleased we do not have to accommodate him as President.
Especially since 9/11 might have happened on his watch (shiver).
His "extra chromosome" statement is ignorant - but speaks of the man who made the remark. Ignorant and insecure.
I will be honest here: I do miss the Clinton Gore act each day in the papers - it was such fun poking at their antics..
But that is all I miss....I rejoice it is over.
I think he needs medication
He can order it using that Internet he invented.
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And thanks to the new perscription drug benefit, it's even more affordable!
While I know that this disease is not determined by one's politics; it does seem that Liberals suffer most often from this affliction.
Not only algore; but both Clintons; and now we have this disease personified in johneffenkerry (and really there cannot be much doubt about Dean, as well).
It is clear from effenkerry's history; (he surely believes he earned that purple heart or silver star. . .for his 'put-a-bandaid-on-it' wound during his 'tour' of Vietnam. . . Seems by his past and present; that he clearly suffers from 'NPD'.
Of course the tragedy here; is that in reality; the NPD person, does NOT suffer; the real suffering is incurred by 'the rest of us'; their victims. . .those whose lives are influcenced by the narcisstic manipulator.
yes, that would be the 'narcissistic' manipulator. . .
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